Lyric Hammersmith, London Four siblings squabble over an art treasure possibly stolen by their grandfather in this riotous play by Ben OckrentBen Ockrent’s black comedy about a family in mourning has distinct strains of the ludicrous, though the cartoo…
Continue ReadingApollo theatre, LondonStephen Mangan, Sarah Hadland, Ardal O’Hanlon and Janie Dee are seat-shakingly funny in this study of adulteryAlice and Michel must conceal their affair from possibly suspicious spouses Paul and Laurence, sometimes under detective…
Continue ReadingLyttelton theatre, LondonHeroic but imperfect modern-day version of the 17th-century classic is stuffed full of debates about how we might live differentlyMolière’s misanthrope here is a bestselling writer in a stylish trouser suit, gender-reversed as …
Continue ReadingThe Traitors-winning standup talks about quitting palliative care work for the stage and the dangers of mistaking a cockatoo for a cocktailHow did you go from a career in palliative care to standup comedy?I had a bit of a midlife crisis. I was being wi…
Continue ReadingPitlochry Festival theatreWriter Douglas Maxwell’s playful conceit sparks a funny and superbly acted exploration of messy relationships There is a clever conceit underlying Douglas Maxwell’s sparky romantic comedy. It imagines the possibility of a sexu…
Continue ReadingRiverside Studios, LondonTed Walliker’s one-man play about a night gone spectacularly wrong is boldly ambitious but we need to know more about the man at the micWatching a comedian crumble onstage is hellish. In Ted Walliker’s new play, the performer’s…
Continue ReadingÒran Mór, Glasgow Nay Dhanak’s clownish tale follows an odd couple struggling to live up to their roles passing news from royal power to the publicWe are in a medieval world of portentous comets, fiery dragons and punitive taxes. For the average peasan…
Continue ReadingHe’s the perfect comedian to cool down these incendiary times. As Philly Philly takes his Uh Oh standup show on tour, he talks about woke traps, lefty blindspots – and gen Z’s lurch to the right Born in Stoke-on-Trent to a British mother and Chinese-Ma…
Continue ReadingComedian is doing first tour in more than 15 years and says many issues he talked about in 1980s are still alive todayLenny Henry has said racism is “still at large” as he does his first standup tour in more than 15 years.Henry, best known for The Lenn…
Continue ReadingPlays about political extremes, religious sects, swimming the Channel and an 80th birthday party are among the highlights at this summer’s arts spectacularProducer Francesca Moody has shown a sure touch for spotting fringe hits (Fleabag and Baby Reinde…
Continue Reading